A Mother's Day Story
by Lemonlvr916
Summary: Mother's Day is a week away. Bella and Edward are called to Denali to help with problem only the Cullens are experts with. A short story with a little something for everyone, including adult situations. But mostly it's a story about family. They were related more by venom than blood. Although blood was certainly a bond. They were vampires after all. **Over 18 only**
1. Chapter 1

Alice was running full speed toward the Cullen mansion. She had been on a short hunt at midnight, feeling antsy, like she should be seeing something, but the vision wasn't coming. She decided a little deer blood might take the edge off. The stronger she was physically, the better her gift worked. She had just finished burying the second deer carcass when the vision hit. It wasn't what she expected. The detail wasn't completely clear, but fuzzy like antennae television. And there were some big black holes. The last time she felt this frustrated over a vision, Bella had been pregnant with Renesmee. Alice grimaced at the memory and the month that had followed, and then smiled, knowing that all worked out as it was meant to be.

Another vision, a little clearer this time, struck Alice as she thought of how her family had become even closer because of Renesmee. Finally, a third vision, still rife with holes, came across more clearly, and Alice dropped to her knees. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. If she could cry, the tears would have streamed down her face. On the fourth vision, Alice was on her feet, and at a speed that would have rivaled Edward's, she made her way home.

Edward, Bella, Jasper, Emmett, and Rosalie were sitting at the dining room table having a family meeting. Carlisle had managed to whisk Esme away on an overnight trip to the mountains under the pretense of an early Mother's Day present. Mother's Day was a week away, and the family wanted to do something special for Esme. She was the glue that held the family together, after all. Although she wasn't chronologically much older than any of them, and in vampire years, she was younger than most of them, she just had a natural maternal instinct. Her gift was unconditional love and compassion. She clearly remembered the lost child from her human years, and while the loss of that child is what ultimately led her to her immortal life, she was able to channel that love into her "children" that were perhaps bound to her more by venom, than blood. Although, there was certainly a blood bond among them, as well. They were vampires, after all.

Unfortunately, the group was coming up empty handed for the perfect gift for their mother.

"Why don't we send them to Isle Esme for the summer," Emmett suggested with a shrug.

Jasper disagreed. "Not gonna happen, man. The hospital is understaffed, and Carlisle can't get the time off. Besides, trying to get Esme to leave Renesmee for two months would be like trying to separate peanut butter and jelly. And according to Ness, it can't be done."

The group chuckled at that, as Renesmee was currently a PB&J fanatic. Coming in only a close second to grizzly blood.

Edward nodded and Bella chimed in. "Besides, Edward and I haven't finished replacing the bedroom furniture in the master suite. It's one thing to know that your bedroom was destroyed by your youngest son and his wife. It's quite another to have to see it." Bella kicked Edward under the table. Edward hung his head in mock shame, and then with a less than apologetic smirk he muttered "at least we cleaned up all of the feathers…" Emmett howled with laughter, while Bella kicked Edward again. Harder.

Before anymore comments could be made (or kicks could be delivered), Alice burst through the door, looking unusually disheveled and unnecessarily out of breath. "Edward, your phone is going to ring in five minutes. You must take this call. I don't know everything, there are still holes in the vision, but you and Bella are going to need to go Denali. Tonight."

Edward stood and started for back door to head for the cottage he and Bella shared. Motioning for Bella to join him, his phone started a generic ring and an unknown number popped up on the screen. Before he could answer, Alice caught his attention. "Edward, you'll need to take the car."

Edward closed his phone with a load snap as he and Bella walked at a human pace toward the cottage. He was rigid and stiff, his shoulders squared, his jaw clenched. Bella had heard every word of the conversation between Edward and Eleazar. Unlike her husband's reluctant behavior, she felt an ache in her heart that didn't beat. An understanding in the soul she knew she had.

"Edward, you know we have to go. We have to help." Bella spoke quietly and smoothed her hand down Edward's arm, taking his hand and giving a gentle squeeze. Edward jerked his head up and down, and added a small "hmmmm" in acknowledgment. After a few more steps, he looked seriously at Bella. "We can't take Ness with us, you know." It wasn't a question.

Bella sighed. "I know. She'll be fine here with the family. Jacob can even stay in the cottage with her. He's probably got her in bed already, anyway. I don't like the idea of being away from her in such unknown circumstances, but her safety is paramount. I just want be back in time for Mother's Day. I'd hate to miss our first one together"

Edward wrapped his arms around Bella's waist, not quite as tense, now, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "We'll be gone at least a week, love. Do you have any idea how long it will take to get the dog stench out of the furniture?"

Relieved at the bit of levity Edward showed for the moment, she reached up, bit his ear firmly, and then whispered, "Don't worry about that. We'll just have to overpower his scent with our own. One evening fucking on every surface of our home should alleviate most of the problem."

"Oh love," Edward growled, tightening his hold on her and running his hands over her perfect ass, "your problem-solving skills are legendary. Now, I suppose we should tell Jacob the plan, and go pack."

Edward and Bella drove the Volvo into Canada and caught the Alaskan Highway, heading West toward the Denali National Park. A couple of hours from the Denali clan's home, they decided it was prudent to stop and hunt. The task that was coming could be challenging to both of them, regardless of Edward's experience and Bella's super self-control. Taking a nearly non-existent road into the heart of the preserve at 3:00a.m., traffic was desolate and the couple felt safe that the car would not be seen and wildlife would be plentiful with Spring well underway. If they were being honest, they were hoping to snag a large Brown Bear that they could share. Exiting the car, they hooked hands and started a slow jog to stretch their legs unnecessarily, enjoying the close, physical contact that sitting for hours in the car did not allow.

About a mile in, the couple caught the scent of their desired meal choice. Releasing hands and picking up speed, they raced another three miles into the forest. Not wanting to startle the bear, Bella and Edward stopped in their tracks. Bella lowered her shield, showing Edward her intended plan of attack. Edward nodded sharply, and jumped high, catching a branch nearly 50 feet off the ground, and took to the trees. Bella soundlessly navigated the ground, following the flowing river that would lead them to where the bear was fishing for its own meal. Once she was about 20 feet from the bear, Bella let her senses take over. She focused on the scent, visually targeted the large animal, bared her teeth, and let out a loud growl. The bear turned at the noise, recognized the threatening creature before him, but did not hesitate to lung toward the fierce predator so close to him. Just as the bear reached to swipe at Bella, Edward dropped from the tree, landing squarely on the bear's shoulders. Without pause, Edward wrapped his arms around the bear's neck, and with one solid twist, the bear went down. Bella watched her husband prepare the meal. She had a human thought that after so many years of avoiding fishing with Charlie, she quite enjoyed the sport now. After all, she was the baited hook, and Edward had just reeled in dinner. A sharp laugh erupted at the visual in her head, but it was cut off as she saw her husband's eyes go black, his mouth open widely, and his teeth sink swiftly into the jugular of the bear. Bella responded. One small leap and she landed on the other side of the bear's neck and joined her mate is sating their thirst. The bear was large; approximately 400lbs, and would provide enough sustenance for both of them for at least a few days, even in the most challenging situation.

Bella and Edward locked eyes and drank eagerly. As the bear started to run dry, the monster that killed its prey felt another hunger emerge as he watched his mate emaciate the bear only two feet away from him. It happened every time they hunted together, but rarely were they truly alone in such situations. The monster was full from his meal. Now he wished to claim his mate. Removing his mouth from the bear and never taking his eyes from the woman across from him, he stalked around the bear, coming up to where Bella crouched low on her knees. As she pulled the lasts dregs of blood from the bear, she felt that special energy that flowed between her and Edward spark in intensity. Before her head came up, Edward was behind her on his knees. He caged his arms around her, landing his hands on the bear for leverage. He skimmed his nose up her neck, taking her earlobe between his teeth, he ground out three directives.

"Don't move. Don't cum until I tell you. You are mine!"

Wetness seeped between Bella's legs before he even touched her. Feeling equally as possessive and needy, Bella knew her mate was in the dominate position and would not challenge him now. The punishment would not be worth it.

Edward lifted Bella's torso further up onto the dead bear, ran one hand across her chest, feeling her nipples already hard as rocks, moving to shoulder blades, and down her back, over her ass, and into the hot crease between legs. Even though the denim of her jeans he felt her arousal. Their shared meal had been foreplay enough and she was willingly subservient. At vampire speed Edward ripped the jeans from both of them, lifted his mate's hips over his thighs and drove his diamond cock into her tight cunt. Her heat, the dripping wetness, allowed him to glide easily, and the monster drove him forward, fast and hard. There was no apology in his mind for using and connecting with her in this primal way. There was no need for any apologies. Her own monster wanted it, as well. He drove harder and faster, hitting every nerve ending in her body. She moaned. She writhed, although he held her hips in a vice grip. Still she needed more and he was not providing that extra she need.

She growled…."Edward….more….I…I…need more…."

He snarled. "Not yet, pet. You are mine." And so his mantra began. "Mine, Mine, Mine, Mine…"

She replied in turn." Yours, yours, yes, yes, yours….more…oh…more…"

Edward reached around and started to roughly stroke her clit between his finger and his thumb, at the same time collecting a layer of her wetness on his hand. Just as her walls started to flutter, he released her pussy, yet continued his punishing thrusts. He moved his arousal covered hand to her ass, and started coating her smaller, tighter hole. They had yet to actually have that animalist sex, but both the monster and the man knew that the time would come one day soon. As soon as she was well lubed with her own juices, Edward lifted her ass higher, his forearm holding her up at the base of her belly. He used that wide hand and long fingers to start working her clit one more time. Using the thumb already on her ass, he thrust the well-lubed thumb into her ass.

"Is this "more" enough for you, pet," Edward demanded. Bella couldn't respond. She was now on sensory overload. Her mouth was open, but no noise came out. Every muscle in her stomach and lower was clenching and quivering, and Edward and his monster were ruthless. Pumping his dick into her wet heat, his thumb into her ass, and flicking her clit non-stop. He knew it was coming to an end as she bore down and captured both his thumb and cock in vice grip of involuntary muscle contractions.

Five more frenzied pumps and Edward was done. "Cum now, Isabella! Now, now, now!" She did, and he followed. More growls and snarls flew from their chests and mouths, as Edward poured his venomous cum into his mate's womb. As they rode out their climaxes, Edward pushed Bella forward, and they both collapsed soundlessly onto the bear that had been both their meal and the catalyst for this primal mating ritual.

Back at the car, Bella and Edward shoved their ruined clothes into a spare empty bag, a grabbed clean clothes from their suitcases. As they pulled back onto the Alaskan highway, Bella looked out the window and pouted a bit. That bear would have made a great rug for the area in front of their fireplace. Bella would have liked to have repeatedly made love to her husband on that bear. When Edward questioned her silence, she easily lifted her shield to show him her thoughts. Edward groaned at the site of Bella's fantasies.

"Love, you know we just can't this time. There are too many unknowns. But I promise, the next bear we take down, will spend its eternity on our hearth."

Edward and Bella pulled up to Eleazar's house in the early morning hours. Eleazar and Tanya were already on the porch waiting. Some things were just too intense to handle continuously in an enclosed structure. Edward and Bella walked toward the house and their cousins, holding hands in a show of solidarity. The four vampires hugged briefly, and then Edward jumped metaphorically into the fire.

"So, Eleazar, who was it?"

"Demetri." Eleazar answered succinctly.

Bella raised an eyebrow. "And the girl?"

Tanya let out a sigh before responding. "Her name is Lydia. The saddest part is that she truly loved Demetri. Had we known immediately, we would have brought her to Carlisle. But Demetri just dumped her here. Eleazar and Garrett took off after him and held him by throat until he told them the whole story. Eleazar and Garrett destroyed him. We didn't tell Lydia immediately, in case we could save them both…like you and Bella," Tanya paused with a sad smile, "but I think deep down she already knew, and she convinced Carmen to tell her the truth.

Bella hugged Edward closer, and looked to their cousins. "Is there anything else we should know before we go in there?" Carmen walked out the front door just as Bella asked the question, and bowed her head before responding. After a moment, she raised her eyes and flitted contact between Edward and Bella. "Yes. You need to know it all, but we don't have much time. I fear she will deliver in the next few hours. A decision must be made."

Edward gestured toward the two porch swings. They all sat, and Edward prompted, "Ok, Carmen, we're ready to hear it."

Carmen nodded. "Demetri showed up a week ago with Lydia in tow. He said he had found his mate in this human girl shortly after the battle in Forks. Apparently, Aro had told Demetri and Alex to stay behind in the States for a short while, just to ensure that none of us who stood with you on that field were following them. Aro was quite concerned about Romanians in particular, you know. Anyway, Alex waited two weeks before returning to Italy. Demetri was told to remain another two weeks. He met Lydia on a small farm when he was looking for his next meal. Lydia was home alone that day. He intended to drain her, but then apparently a more devious plot formed in his mind. After leaving Forks with no harm done to our clans, especially the Cullens, Demetri was livid. He wanted two outcomes from the Forks intervention. He wanted you destroyed, Edward. He wanted you as his mate, Bella."

Neither Edward, nor Bella were truly shocked by the revelations. Edward had heard Demetri's rabid thoughts many times since his trip to Italy. Except, when Bella was human, Edward knew that Demetri would have settled for her blood. On the field that winter day, Edward heard Demetri's more lustful thoughts about his wife. He knew Bella also recognized the heated and penetrating sweeps Demetri made over her body. Demetri's thoughts had also betrayed his disbelief that any vampire could have the control to physically mate with a human and not kill them. Truly, Demetri was pissed off that Edward Cullen had not only managed the task, but also had the one thing so many vampires wanted. Edward had sired his own child.

Carmen continued. "Demetri took advantage of Lydia. You could say he "woo'd" her. He told her they were meant to be together. He told her he loved her. He told her they were soul mates. He said he could make all of her dreams and wishes come true. Oh yes, he dazzled her."

At the word "dazzle" Bella would have blushed if it were possible. How many times had Edward dazzled her when she was human. Edward chuckled, not needing the hear her thoughts on this to understand her flustered reaction. Bella cleared her throat and looked at Carmen. "Right, he dazzled her. What next?"

Carmen frowned. "He took her physically. Oh, he didn't force himself. She definitely gave in willingly, because she believed that he loved her and that they were mates. The problem was that he didn't have the experience to care for a human. He kept at her with his vampire stamina. He didn't feed her frequently. By the time he brought her here, she was suffering from malnutrition and dehydration. And she was very pregnant. We were the closest existing family that could care for her needs. He assumed since we were family with the Cullens that we would know exactly what needed to be done to get the baby delivered safely. Of course, we had to tell him that we had no knowledge of Renesmee's birth or Bella transformation. Outside of your family, Edward, I dare say that Aro is the only one with that intimate knowledge. Even Nessie's invasive gift doesn't give us all of the details of what needed to be done."

Edward winced and nodded sadly, and indicated that Carmen should continue.

"We settled Lydia in for a nap, and then tried to reason with Demetri. He told us he was expected back in Italy, and that he couldn't take Lydia with him for obvious reasons. He said we should take care of things the best we could, and fled. Eleazar and Garrett gave chase, knowing there had to be more. When they finally caught up with Demetri the next day, Demetri came clean. He admitted it was a means to gain power. He just wanted what Edward had. He held no feelings at all for the girl. Whether she or the child lived or died was of no consequence to him. He knew there might be some punishment once he returned to Italy, but truly believed that Aro would show mercy when he understood Demetri's weakness. Eleazar and Garrett knew they couldn't allow Demetri to go back to Aro. He might forgive that weakness, but he would also know that another half-vampire could exist, another human knows our secret, and it would land the Volturi on our doorstep. We couldn't risk another potential confrontation so soon. We do not believe it would end peacefully."

Bella shook her head in confusion. "What weakness could Aro forgive so easily, Carmen?" Edward sucked in a sharp breath. He heard Carmen's answer before she spoke it aloud. "You, Bella. You were his weakness. And you need to be prepared before you go in there and meet Lydia. Bella, she looks almost exactly like you."


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I own a face-in-hole pic of Rob and I. I own my cougar fantasies of Rob. I do not own Twilight, its characters, or even a leaf from Forks. I do enjoy inviting said characters to my playroom.

In grown-up terms: No copyright infringement is intended and I'm not making a dime off this.

Chapter 2:

"Could you give us a few minutes, alone," Edward asked. "We'll be right behind you. We just need a minute to regroup."

Carmen nodded and motioned for Tanya and Eleazar to follow her inside. "Of course. It's a lot to take in. Do you need to hunt before you join us? We've got a great variety just beyond our property line."

Bella responded first. "No, we were able to catch a bear right before we arrived. One was more than enough for both of us." From the corner of her eye, Bella saw Edward smirk, before he chimed in. "Yes, it was fulfilling in ways I never thought possible. We are hoping to catch another one before we head back to Forks. Bella has developed a fondness for bearskin rugs, right, love?" Bella narrowed her eyes at Edward and in move befitting Rosalie, whacked Edward upside the head.

Hearing the innuendo in Edward's voice and watching Bella's physical response, Tanya went wide-eyed and struggled not to laugh out loud. Instead she directed a thought at Edward. _"Oh, Edward, I never thought I'd see the day when you would sound more like Emmett than a monk. In many ways I'm sorry I didn't have you first, but Bella is truly meant for you."_ An acknowledging nod was the only response Edward made. Unlike Emmett, physical pain without the pleasure was not something he wanted often.

Eleazar encouraged Tanya and Carmen in the house. "Take some time to collect your thoughts, then. We'll be inside with Kate and Garrett…and Lydia, of course. With that, the Denali clan walked into the house and closed the door. Edward spoke first.

"Love, I hope I didn't embarrass you. This is going to get worse before it gets better, and I just needed to lighten the mood a bit."

Bella guffawed. "Really? Emoward wanted to lighten a tense situation by sharing our sex lives with the cousins. Has hell frozen over? Have the Cubs won the World Series?"

"Tread carefully Bella. I'm a Chicago boy born and raised. In some circles, Cubs jokes are fighting words. Luckily for you, I was a White Sox fan in my human life. As I've aged, I'm found that down deep, I'm a Cardinals fan. But, I digress. Are you ok with what we know so far?"

Bella wrapped her arms around Edwards waist and laid her head on his chest. Edward pulled her into his side with his arms around his shoulders. If they were human, Bella could imagine them on their porch swing in their twilight years doing this same thing. She allowed herself a moment to dream of what would have never been before answering.

"Yeah, I'm ok. It just makes me sad and angry…and excited and hopeful…and worried and-" Edward cut her off. "Bella are you really having all of those feelings right now? That seems a little beyond Vampire abilities to multi-task."

Bella chuckled. "I suppose it's more of a girl thing than a vampire thing. But, yes, I am definitely feeling all of those things right now. What I need to do is focus, though. There is a human woman in there carrying a half-vampire baby and I am the only living vampire or human who knows what she's going though." Bella started to unwrap herself from her husband to stand. "Edward, we really need to get in there and meet Lydia. Perhaps you will be able to hear the baby, like with Renesmee?"

"Hmmmm," Edward pondered. "I suppose I should be able to get something. Not words. I couldn't get words from Renesmee at this stage. But maybe flashes and feelings." Edward grabbed Bella's hand before she could pull away completely. "Bella, I do have a very serious concern. We are most likely going to have to deliver this baby, or the biggest part of it. I know your restraint is unprecedented, but you have yet to experience fresh human blood, not protected by skin and muscle. It tested Rosalie and Alice when you had Renesmee. We need a plan in place, just in case you lose control."

Bella was a little shocked, but not hurt by Edward's words. She knew he was right. "I wish Alice's visions weren't so holey. Times like these I realize how much we rely on her gift." Bella and Edward were silent for about five minutes before Bella came up with part of plan. "Edward, what if lift my shield. I can try and do it for awhile. That way you have access to all of my thoughts. If I start to become overwhelmed, you can get someone to take me out of the room? Or maybe if I lose control, my shield would drop and you would know that by the silence that it's time to take me out?"

Edward smiled warmly and pressed his lips to Bella's. "Excellent plan, love. Ok. Let's go meet Lydia and see what we're dealing with." Bella accepted his gentle kiss and smiled. "Yeah," she responded. "I can't wait to see my doppleganger."

Bella and Edward stood, and hand in hand they walked in the front door of the Denali family home, uncertain of what the rest of the day would bring.

Edward and Bella knocked lightly on the bedroom door where Carmen had directed them once they entered the house. The door opened swiftly and quietly, and Kate and Garrett stood smiling lightly at the couple. Garrett didn't hesitate to grab Bella in tight hug, while Kate gently kissed Edward's cheek.

"Ah, Bella, my yankee heroine, how wonderful to see you again….although the circumstances are muddier than a harbor full of tea bags." Garrett's dry sense humor made him a favorite to Bella, and she chuckled at his imagery. "Good to see you, too, Garrett…and you, also, Kate." Bella gracefully untangled herself from Garrett to wrap an arm around Kate's shoulders, giving a light squeeze. "We were hoping to meet Lydia and see if we could help."

"Of course," Kate replied. "She's been asleep most of the day. She's so exhausted and often in pain. I swear I can hear bones breaking, but I'm not sure."

Edward's thoughts had turned darker as he remembered the fetus inside Bella breaking her fragile ribs. He sighed. "There are probably broken ribs, Kate. Is her breathing labored?"

"Not as long as she's lying down," Kate answered. "She gets pretty winded when she's up and walking around."

Edward nodded. "A potentially good sign. If the broken ribs were higher or splintered, the risk of a punctured lung is greater, and then we'd have bigger problems than we already do. Now, what of her diet? Is she eating or drinking?"

Kate shrugged. "Not enough. She doesn't seem to be able to keep much down, and she was already so underfed when Demetri brought her here. I don't know if we could have done anything to help her catch up, so to speak. She drinks water and keeps it down ok, but juice or anything acidic seems to disagree with the baby."

Bella stepped up. "Kate, have you tried blood? I mean, I know you wouldn't be able to get a hold of human blood, which is what really helped me regain some strength, but maybe some blood from a carnivore would give us something to work with. Anything is worth trying at this point, right?"

Edward agreed. "Yes. Although if her delivery will be soon, we don't want to give her too much, lest it come right back when labor begins."

As one part of Bella's vampire brain heard Garrett make plans to get Eleazar to help him with the carnivore hunt, another part of Bella blanched at the recent human memory that was still available. Such a sharp pain in her abdomen, and then vomiting large quantities of blood all over the Cullen's white carpets. As the memory started to dissipate, Bella wondered how they had cleaned the carpet so thoroughly. She'd have to ask later.

Bella focused on the family in front of her, and noticed Garrett heading for the stairs. Edward continued to tell Kate what would be needed for the delivery when the time was right. He stressed that the family should all hunt to avoid any problems when they cut through the placenta. He also wanted to be prepared to change Lydia once the baby arrived. They would need venom and the Denali clan needed to be responsible for that. Edward knew he would not sire another vampire.

As Kate went to discuss options with the family and planned to hunt, Edward whispered in Bella's ear. "Ok to go in, love?" Bella swallowed, her throat suddenly dry, and nodded. "Let's go."

Bella and Edward moved from the hall to the bedroom, where a female body lay on her back, under a pile of blankets. Her head was turned to the side, with long, wavy brown hair obscuring the view of her face. As the couple advanced on the sleeping young woman, Bella had flashes of being bone-chillingly cold, and the warm arms Jacob wrapped around her, becoming almost unbearably warm, until Edward came to balance her body temperature. Bella felt her chest heave as she realized this woman had no such love or comforts. The baby wasn't conceived in love. No one attempted to study her pregnancy, the needs or wants or the fetus. No one fought with her about her will to live, or the fact that she would most likely die. Venom began to pool in the corners of Bella's eyes as she realized how much the Cullens had loved her, even as a human. Not just Edward, though she was now seeing just how deeply she cut him, a gaping wound that couldn't bleed or be stitched closed leaving only a scar. She now realized that had she died, she would have destroyed her husband, and caused irreparable damage to her entire family. God, she had been a selfish human.

With her internal musing and soul searching, she failed to notice that Edward had been drawn to the bed. The mane of brown hair was so like Bella's human hair. The shallow movement of the shoulders reminded him clearly of her difficult breathing patterns. He had to reach out to touch her. With overly gentle hands, he moved the soft brown waves away from the young woman's face.

Bella came out of her painful memories when she heard an anguished keening come from her husband's chest. Her eyes snapped to his form just in time to watch her husband fall to his knees, his hand caressing the sleeping girl's face, and with stifled growl, laced with more grief than she could ever remember he clearly crowed, "Bella, my Bella…no…not again!"


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own it. I wish I did. But I love using my imagination to fill in the holes...if you know what I mean.

Chapter 3

The vampire mind truly is incredible. Nearly indescribable. It was photogenic, compartmentalized, multi-functioning. The downside was the lack of original memory from human days. Most of Edward's human memories were based on stories that Carlisle shared over the years, sparking, what Edward hoped, were truths about the human he had been. He believed Carlisle felt it was important to restore as many human memories as possible in order to bring that humaneness into their monster-like existence. Simply, it allowed the Cullen clan to be more than a coven of vampires; it allowed them to be a family, mix with society without bringing too many questions with them, to stay in one place for several years, and to encourage their vegetarian lifestyle.

Edward used his vampire brain to store every memory of Bella's human life as possible. He hoped to be able to share with her those memories, like Carlisle had with him, and perhaps ward off any doubts Bella might have held on to about becoming a vampire. In the end, Bella hadn't need the help. She awoke knowing who she was, where she was, remembered her family, and that she was exactly where she wanted to be. Although it was unnecessary for Edward to have to focus too hard on remembering every moment that he had spent with Bella, he was pleased to have the memories, as well. Edward basked in every second of having Bella as a human, as much as he loved the life he had built with his wife.

The difficulty of the vampire mind rested in the detail of the memories. Such intricacies a human mind might forget, but the vampire mind could pinpoint the second hand on a clock when the memory happened. More, the emotion associated with the memories were equally as detailed, as if the vampire were reliving the moment in time.

Now, as Edward pushed back the silky brown hair of the girl that slept in the bed before him, something so intense and overwhelming sparked one of those memories. The face that appeared under the hair was his Bella. Pale white in color, tinted with the blues and purples from a lack of oxygen, gaunt, thin skin stretched tightly across brittle bones. Her large eyes were closed, but were framed with long, lush lashes. Edward knew if those eyes were to open in that second, he would be met big brown eyes that might have once looked like melted chocolate, but now would be dull and lacking life. His gaze moved to her mouth, once so soft, puffy, and pink, now was colorless, thin, and cracked.

In that moment, Edward was reverted to seeing Bella in this condition and the emotions that wracked his very soul during that time were unleashed. He had not been allowed to completely breakdown during Bella's pregancy. There was too much to do...researching possible outcomes, begging, pleading, arguing, worrying, even planning his own demise in anticipation of Bella's.

Noises that had never left Edward came forth from deep in the pit of his stomach, growling and keening that his soulmate most likely would not survive. Edward may have spoken words. He didn't know, he was so lost in the moment of the memory, until strong soft arms wrapped around him from behind and a musical voice whispered soothingly in his ear.

"Shhhhhhhh, Edward. Honey, I'm here. It's me, Bella. I'm alive. I'm with you. I'm like you. Renesmee is in Forks with the family, and she's fine too, sweetheart. Come back to me, Edward. I'm not in that bed. I'm here. You're looking at Lydia."

Edwards mind jumped from compartment to compartment as he listened to her gentle voice and her scent overwhelmed him. Inhaling deeply he realized there were two distinct smells, the girl on the bed, which wasn't remotely familiar, and one from the woman who held him. THAT smell he knew like it was his own. He had bathed in that smell, first to keep her human and safe, and later, to love, to claim, to mate. Slowly, Edward left the dispair of his mind and came back to the present.

He grabbed the arms Bella had wrapped around his chest. "I'm ok, now, love." His throat was scratchy and his voice reflected the irritation. "It was just too much. They warned us she looked like you, exactly like you, but I thought you would be the one affected the most. It never occured to me that I would be the one to relive so intensely."

Bella continued to hold him tightly, but moved her hand to wipe the venom that pooled in the corner of his eyes. "I know, Edward. And I did react poorly, just from her presence. It stopped me from moving forward, but I was lost in memories of choices and consequences. I'm not sure what else would have happened had you not pulled me from my thoughts had you not looked at her and reacted first."

Bella choked back a sob. "I'm sorry, Edward, so sorry. I was so selfish insisting on having Renesmee. I wouldn't change the outcome for the world, but I had no idea what I was putting you or the family though...what could have happened if I hadn't been so insistent...I-"

Edward cut her off. "Hush, Bella. It's just a memory now. Everything is as it is supposed to be. Now, we need to get ourselves together, and use our memories and our knowledge to help Lydia." Edward turned to Bella and kissed her lightly on her forehead, her nose, and finally her lush, red lips. "You are my life, my soul, my love. Although the feeling is always with me, somehow, I think it's therapuetic to be reminded of how we got to such a wonderful place in our lives."

Edward kissed Bella one last time and stood. As they move closed to the bed, Lydia's eyes began to flicker. Edward and Bella were both prepared this time for the lacking brown gaze that stared at them after a few seconds of fluttering. Before the vampires could speak, Lydia focused on the female before her. "You're Bella," she whispered. Bella nodded. "I am, and this is my husband, Edward. We've been called to help you, if we can."

Lydia tried to move to her back and groaned in pain. Edward immediately flashed to her side and lifted her like a feather into the new position. Lydia offered a small smile. "Thank you," she said. "Moving seems to be the most difficult thing I have to do right now."

Bella tried to offer reassurance. "You're in a house full of vampires. My suggestion is to just ask, and let them move you as much as possible. You'll prevent a lot of unnecessary pain to your body, and maybe even alleviate some complications. I know this is hard to hear, but that baby you carry is much stronger than you, and it can break you."

Lydia's eyes widened in shock, and Bella quickly continued. "Don't misunderstand. The baby doesn't mean to hurt you. It doesn't even recognize it's own strength. In truth, the baby recognizes you as it's mother, and probably feels very fondly toward you. It experiences happiness and forms a bond with you for caring for it as it growns and prepares to come out. Just like a human baby."

Lydia's forehead furrowed in confusion. "How can you know what the fetus FEELS?"

It was Edward's turn to speak up. "Uh, yeah, maybe no one told you? But I can read minds, and when Bella was pregnant, after the baby's brain was sufficiently developed, I started gleaning impressions that the baby gave, because of course, there isn't full language development. But we were able to understand that the baby recognized us as her parents, was happy, grateful, even, for the safety and care that Bella provided. Our daughter recognized and liked our voices. When she arrived, she knew exactly who we were." Edward was grinning like the goofy dad that he was, as he finished the explanation.

Lydia was back to the shocked expression. "So you can hear my th-" Edward cut her off before she finished. "Yes, Lydia, I can. But I try not to be intrusive. I try not to listen, but sometimes thoughts can be very, uh, LOUD, and it can't be helped." Edward was actually thinking of some of the things Jacob had forced into his mind over the past two years and grimaced at the memory.

Lydia's next question brought him back. "So, can you hear the fetus, or know what it feels?"

Edward focused and eventually got some small glimpses. "Your baby seems to be healthy and content...and hungry, perhaps? Yes, definitely hungry."

Lydia rolled her eyes and became angry. "I TRY to eat and drink constantly, but nothing stays down. The vomitting has become so painful, I don't want to put anything down my throat. I don't know what to do about this thing's hunger pains."

Bella and Edward were taken aback by the almost hateful tone with which Lydia spoke. Edward decided invasive maneuvers were necessary. As he focused on the internal musings of the young woman in the bed, Bella tried to ease her fears.

"Lydia, knowing what the baby wants to eat was one the biggest obstacles we faced. It was pure dumb luck and a guess that got us through it. We've got the Denali family working on getting you the nutrition your baby needs. And I promise it will help you to be remain stronger, too. If the placenta doesn't detach, like mine did, we should be able to minimize the pain of the birth process."

Lydia looked perplexed for a moment. She started to ask more questions, but then all energy seemed to drain and her eyes started to droop. "Sorry," she shrugged. "I guess Edward can't see that the fetus needs us to sleep, now, too."

At the mention of his name, Edward nodded at Lydia and moved closer, until he was leaning over her face, looking right into her eyes. "It's to be expected, Lydia. Even a human baby would cause you to be overly tired at this stage. Rest now. We aren't going anywhere." Edward blew a sweet breath over Lydia and her eyes fluttered closed.

Edward stood tall and turned to see Bella standing behind him, eyebrow cocked high, hand on hip, and accusing look burned into his eyes. "What, Bella?!"

Bella clicked her tongue and relaxed her pose a bit. "Oh, I'm just wondering exactly how many times you pulled THAT little stunt to get me to go to sleep?"

Edward grinned, "Oh, love, trust me. It was only ever in self-preservation that I helped you to sleep. Which means, nearly every night we spent in your bed while you were human."

Bella feigned offense. "Well, I guess it's a good thing I don't require sleep anymore, now, isn't it?"

Edward chuckled and moved to wrap Bella in his arms. Leaning his forehead into hers, he breathed his sweet breath over her, not lulling her into a deep sleep, but effectively dazzling her as only he could. "Oh, Bella, I am so glad you no longer require sleep. It's self-preservation that requires that I keep you busy all night long, love. You see, knowing what I know now, I would simply spontaneously combust if I couldn't be buried in you every single night."

Bella's breath caught in her throat as his words flowed over her, igniting a fire deep in her stomach that ravaged her whole body. She shuddered silently and broke away from Edward's embrace. Taking an unnecessary breath, she composed herself slightly. "Right. Good to know. But back to business. Tell me, Edward, what was she thinking? I know you were listening."

Edward ran his hand through his hair before bringing his thumb and finger to pinch his nose. "Yeah, Bella. I listened. I'm not quite sure what we're going to do. Lydia truly loved Demetri, and is devestated by his actions. I wouldn't say she hates the baby, per se, but did you notice how she constantly referred to it as "the fetus?" Bella nodded, remembering how everyone but Rosalie had referred to Renesmee as "the fetus" before Edward had jumped on the baby bandwagon.

Edward continued. "Well, Lydia is so deeply wounded, tired, frustrated, and so many more emotions that I can't describe...but Bella, the bottom line is, even if Lydia survives this birth, and yes, she is well aware that it could kill her, she has no intention of raising this baby."

Bella gasped in shock. "NOT raise the baby? Does she know we can change her? We can help her! We can take her and the baby back to Forks. There's always room for two more, right, Edward?"

Edward hugged Bella close again. "She is aware that she could be changed. Demetri spoke to her of such a plan when he realized she conceived. Of course, we know now, based on Demetri's admission, that he never intended to change her. Frankly, if the birth didn't kill her, I think Demetri would have done so himself. She may look like you, Bella, but he saw her as a means to an end. A way for him to have you, in his warped mind. But, it didn't take him long to realize she wasn't you, and she wasn't his mate. When he got called back to Italy, she became a liability."

Bella stood vampire-still as she took in the words that poured from Edward. She quietly asked "Is there any changing her mind?"

Edward shrugged. "Anything is possible, love. But we need to talk to the others before we talk to Lydia again." Edward took Bella's hand in his and pulled her gently toward the bedroom door.

"Come on. Let's go wait for the others in the living room. Lydia is going to need her rest."

They walked into the hallway and silently closed the door behind them.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Don't own it. No money is being deposited into my checking account for writing this. I DO own, but cannot control, my dreams about Rob.

A/N: For those of you reading. Thank you. I now understand the concept of RL getting in the way of writing.

Chapter 4

The living room was empty when Bella and Edward entered. Edward pulled Bella to the couch and onto his lap as he sat. Bella took the quiet moment to snuggle into Edward's chest and enjoy the feeingl of her husband's strong arms. Bella was continually amzed at the difference that being a vampire made. When she was human, Edward's body, while always welcoming, was cold and unyielding. Now, he was warm and their bodies molded to one another's. In fact, they seemed to fit together like two puzzle pieces.

"Penny for your thoughts, love," Edward crooned softly and nuzzled Bella's hair with his nose.

Not wanting the quiet of the moment to be broken, Bella raised her shield, showing Edward her memories of the various interactions from her human perspective. The reactions she had to the cold touch of his fingers, the way his safe kisses still aroused something in her teenage body, the safety she felt sleeping on his cold chest, wrapped in his steel arms every night.

Edward felt humbled at Bella's thoughts. He lifted her face to his and passionately kissed his wife. When the kiss broke, he pulled her head to his chest, again. "Bella, some days I still cannot believe my - no- OUR good fortune. It was a long, torturous road, and I still blame myself for so much. Still, I wouldn't miss a minute of loving you while you were human. I would face every challenge all over again to have you as a human and a vampire."

Bella smilled against Edward's chest. "You're finally starting to catch on to how I've always felt, Edward. Perhaps after another decade or two, you'll finally lose that self-deprecation. I certainly have never blamed you for anything. Every moment we were together was part of the plan to get us to this point."

Bella pulled back and looked into Edward's eyes. "We both made crazy choices. Yes, we hurt each other. But, we shoud have never bet against Alice."

Edward gave Bella a genuine smile. "You're so right, love. I can't promise to NEVER bet against Alice, again. But I can promise never to bet against us."

Just as Bella leaned into kiss her husband a bit more passionately than before, the five members of the Denali clan walked through the sliding glass doors at the back of the room.

"Well, well," Garrett chuckled. "Edward, mate, I never truly thought you had it in ya. I gave you props for not breaking Bella when she was human, but never for a moment guessed that you were into such public displays. Such snogging in the living room where anyone can watch? What other kinks have you developed?"

Edward cleared his throat to speak, but Bella jumped in. "Garrett, you really should dislodge that stick from your British arse. It may have taken Edward some time to find his kink, but I'm more than happy that we found it together. Perhaps Kate should shock you a little more often."

The room erupted in laughter, as the Denali clan situated themselves on the various couches and chairs.

"Oh, my, it feels good to laugh," Carmen placed her hand to her heart in a human gesture. "Such drama and sadness in the past week, we've had. We need to remember to laugh through it, too."

Eleazar agreed. "Indeed. There will be more sadness, unfortunately, I fear and I do believe that laughter clears the mind."

Kate, who was leaning into Garrett's side, spoke up. "Not to bring us down too quickly, but what did you think of Lydia? Did you get a read on her and the baby, Edward?"

Edward nodded. "Bella and I were both taken of guard, regardless of your warnings, at the physical similarities, but for different reasons. What we weren't ready for was the emotional differences that Lydia projects in her thoughts. Have you talked to her about changing her in detail, because I get the distinct impression that she doesn't even consider the fetus to be a child she can love and care for, regardless of her ability to live."

Garrett shook his head, the jovialness gone from his face. "No, but we know that Demetri mentioned it to her. He told us as much. Promised it, just as the git promised to marry her, before taking them both home to Italy. Empty promises, you know. Such a double-dead rat bastard. I wish I would have saved his parts, so I could put him back together and rip him apart again."

Kate ran her fingers, barely tingling with her gift in a massaging gesture, down Garrett's back. "Calm down a bit, G, it does no good to wage war on a dead vampire. We have more pressing issues at hand."

Tanya spoke for the first time since the conversation had turned more serious. "So, you don't think she'll take care of the baby, even if we change her? I don't know, Edward. Seems to me that is a huge committment for one of our families to take on...a newborn AND a Newborn? Should we even give her the choice?"

Bella answered first. "Of course we give her the choice, Tanya. I'm sorry, but I was raked over the coals for trying to make my own choices. I will not be someone who takes that choice away from someone else. Besides, she may not have the desire to be maternal right now, but it's unfortantely quite common in women who are pregnant under stressful circumstances to not find the bond with their baby until they actually see it, touch...hold it."

Tanya frowned. "I understand what you're saying, Bella, but what if she doesn't want to change? Would you still force it on her, anticipating that she will bond with the child, and then if that never happens? What then? Will you be strong enough to control that woman as a newborn vampire?"

"Let's all step back a minute, " Edward intervened as he listened to the worried thoughts of the vampires that surrounded them. "Bella, as sad as makes me, love, Tanya has a valid point. Your point is that everyone wanted to make the decision for you. Rosalie voted no for you because she wanted someone to vote no for her, remember? I know you ache every time you think that I voted no for you, because I didn't want to change you and take away your humanity. But, love, you still have yet to experience the volatile nature of a newborn vampire. We were so lucky that you have the gifts you do, and you were able to step in immediately and care for our child without incident. Do you remember Bree? The newborn that we tried to grant asylum to before the Volturi showed up after the fight in the woods?

Bella struggled to recall the memory. It was a hazy memory, but she vaguely recalled Jasper restraining a young woman that kept moaning over how much Bella's blood made her thirsty. Bella gasped at that scene that floated through her head.

"I can vaguely recollect it. She wanted me. Jasper had to hold her back from me, didn't he?"

Edward nodded with a sad smile. "Now, love, try to image what would happen if the young vampire had a newborn half-breed of her own to care for. AND imagine if Bree hadn't wanted to try live the life of a vegetarian vampire?"

Bella hung her head in shame. "I'm so sorry. I am probably too close to this situation to help Lydia make an educated choice. Unless..." Bella's head shot up, "Eleazar, can you sense if Lydia will have any talent to bring to her vampire existence?"

Eleazar sighed. "Sorry, Bella. I get nothing from Lydia that is out of the ordinary. That doesn't mean that some talent doesn't exist. But the fact that all other gifts seem to work on her, indicates that she probably doesn't have a shielding ability that would help with control or bloodlust."

Bella nodded, her sudden hope dashed. "Well, then I guess we wait for her to wake up again and make the official offer."

The group murmured their agreement.

"Were you able to to get blood for her to drink," Edward asked.

Garrett nodded. "No worries on that front, Mate. There's a blood bank not too far away that is now down about 10 pints of O-positive. It's in the cooler we left outside. No sense making all of us more uncomfortable than we already are."

Edward chuckled. "Smart move on your part..."

Before Edward could offer a quip, they all heard a moan from the bedroom where Lydia slept. They heard the creak of the bed and a string of explatives.

Bella, Edward, and Eleazar took off at vampire speed toward the bedroom, turning the doorknob before the last four-letter word left Lydia's mouth.

Edward spoke first. "Lydia, I meant what I said about letting us move you. There's no need for you to experience this level of pain and discomfort."

A tear streaked down Lydia's pale cheek. "I know, but no one was here. I think that's first time that's ever happened in the house. Truly the first time I've been alone. I didn't know how to get your attention."

Bella smiled. "That's our short-coming, Lydia. If you were not aware, vampires have a super-hearing of sorts. All you ever have to do is say someone's name in this house, or a simple "HELP" would do...we will come running."

Lydia seemed to ponder the concept of super-hearing. In reality, her thoughts were confused, and Edward listened closely.

 _"Super-hearing, Super-sight, Super-speed, Super-cold, Super-creepy. How did I get mixed up in this mess? Demetri was going to make me one them after I gave him a Super-baby. I could have been Super, too? I've never wanted to be Super anything. I certainly don't want to be a Supermom. God, will this thing never get out? How much bigger can it get before I can get it out of me? Wait. Don't rush this, Lydia, because then you'll just be Super-dead."_

Before Edward could comment on Lydia's internal rant, Carmen entered the room with a styrofoam cup with a lid and straw.

"A bit of nutrition, perhaps, Lydia," Carmen approached the young woman and Bella easily lifted Lydia into a sitting postion.

"What's this? Some kind of protein shake," Lydia suspiciously eyed the plain cup.

Edward shrugged. "Something like that. Best you not ask what's in it exactly."

Bella offered Lydia a sympathetic smile. "Edward's right. I can verify that you will find it helps with your strength, and the baby's. And bonus! I think you'll find it tastes very good."

Lydia took the cup from Carmen, and with a withering look, offered a brazen "Slainte...I think."

The four vampires held a collective breath as Lydia took that first tentative sip of the blood hidden in the styrofoam. She winced at first from the coldness and the odd texture, but was overcome by the explosure of flavors on her tongue. After the first swallow, she quickly drank down the rest of the cup.

Carmen retrieved the cup and offered to go get Lydia some more of the protein shake, to which Lydia quickly agreed. As Carmen left the room, Edward turned back to Lydia.

"How are you feeling now? Well enough to have more discussion about your situation?"

Lydia sighed, but agreed.

Bella sat carefully on the bed next to Lydia.

"Lydia," Bella began, "We think you know that this birth is going to be difficult for you. As a human, there is a great probability that you might not surve the birth. We will do everything we can to help you, to make sure that you DO make it as a human, if that's your choice. But, Lydia, you also have the option to be changed into one of us, even if you make it through the birth with your human life in tact. We are prepared to help you and your baby if this is the choice you make."

The small bit of color that had returned to Lydia's cheeks, drained away quickly as she considered what this "family" was offering her. No, it wasn't unexpected, based on what Demetri told her. He had offered her the same, and had he stayed with her, had he truly loved her, she might have agreed. Hell, she might not even have been given a choice with Demetri. But now, she simply felt nothing but alone and in pain. She had no love for the thing that grew within her. No, she fairly certain the idea of living alone as a single mother to a half-breed human/monster child, while she battled her own monster, did not sound like an existance she wanted. And drinking blood for an eternity? She didn't even want to contemplate what that entailed. Her life on the farm before Demetri came along was simple. That was all she knew. All she wanted. And she just wished that she could go back to that time.

Edward heard Lydia's answer before she spoke the words, and reached to pull Bella away from the bed and held her hand tightly.

"I really appreciate everything your, uh, family, has done for me. I understand you really didn't have to do anything. You could have left me to fend for myself, and I'm not really sure how this would pan out if Demetri would have just left me alone in the woods somewhere. I'm sure there is no way I would have survived. But, this thing inside me, isn't a child. Not a normal child, anyway. I feel no love for it. I don't feel myself bonding or with any sense of obligation. And I don't want to live forever. I'm tired after a month of being in the company of vampires. I can't imagine how exhausted I would be after an eternity."

"Oh, you wouldn't be tired at all if we changed you-" Bella interrupted, and Edward gave her had a sharp squeeze and a shake of his head to let Bella know that arguing was futile. She needed to keep their earlier discussion at the front of her mind.

Bella's mouth snapped shut and Edward's nonverbal reprimand and lowered her head before apologizing.

"Forgive me Lydia. I forget that not everyone's situation was like mine. I knew that no matter what, I wanted this life. I needed it. Edward needed it. Of course, I will respect your decision. But just to be clear, if it comes down to your death or becoming a vampire, you would choose death?'

Lydia looked Bella directly in the eyes. "While I would prefer to remain human and just FORGET that any of this ever happened, if it's death or immortality, then yes, I choose death. Both of my grandparents have passed, and my older brother died in Afghanistan. I'll have quite the welcoming committee when I make it to the other side." With the thought of her brother, who also died too young, a tear falling down each cheek betrayed her otherwise stoic face.

Carmen had just reappeared with another "protein shake" in her hand and Tanya in tow. Both females gave Edward and Eleazar an imperceptible nod to indicate that the others had heard the discussion and the decision. As Carmen handed the cup to Lydia, Tanya surprising broke the silence.

"Lydia, we respect your decision, completely. Just know, nothing is set in stone, so to speak, until your heart stops beating. If you change your mind at any time, well, just know we are prepared to do what needs to be done."

Lydia stopped drinking from the cup for a moment to acknowledge Tanya.

"Thanks, Tanya. Again, I don't mean to sound unappreciative. But I somehow managed to get myself into this mess, and I figure, if I can't do the right thing and even see this thing inside me as a baby, then I forfeit my right to certain things. No, it's better I acknowledge my sins and meet my maker."

Strangely, Edward responded to Lydia. "Lydia, not long ago, I was convinced that I didn't have a soul. How could I have one? I had died, only to be "reborn" and a hideous monster that lusted for blood more than anything else. I've killed people. Bad people, but people nonetheless. I fought my conscience about changing Bella, because I didn't want to be that monster. The one that was selfish enough to take her humanity. I didn't want to risk HER soul. But, when I was forced into a corner, I knew I had to save her if I could, by any means possible. In short, it was Bella, and her selflessness, and stubborness, that made me see that just maybe vampires could have souls. So, believe me when I tell you, that I believe that your love for Demetri was pure and good. But you were lured and misled by one of us who hasn't thought about the state of his soul in a very long time. Don't misconstrue his sins for yours."

Kate and Garrett had entered the room, hearing his words to Lydia. The vampires stood in a loose semi-circle around the bed, not wanting to overwhelm the woman more than she already was.

Lydia considered Edwards moving speech as she slurped the last of the drink from the cup with her straw. She eventually put the cup on the bedside table, color returning to her face.

"I really do appreciate your story, Edward. Well, I appreciate all of the stories, really. It's interesting to know how you all came into your lives. But, still, it's not for me. I'm a simple girl who fell in love with a very bad vampire. My decision is made. Save me or not, I can't be a mother to this thing, and I'm not prepared to change."

Kate spoke up. "Ok, Lydia. We can and will respect your decision."

Edward turned serious, again. "Lydia, there are few more difficult questions...what do you want us to do if you don't make it through the birth? Although we will do our best, your remains won't be something you want us to send home to your parents, I'm sure."

Lydia nodded. "I know. Perhaps cremation is the best option? I don't know if you can get my remains back to my parents feasibly, but, could you at least make sure that they know I loved them and my life with them. They were the best parents, ever, and..." tears began to stream down Lydia's wan face. "...and I know it's not fair that I made such horrendous choices that would take another child away from them."

Having lost both their mother and sister in their vampire lives, both Tanya and Kate were moved by Lydia's thoughts of her family. Kate spoke up. "Of course, we'll do the best we can. Perhaps you can write them a letter telling them how you feel. As vampires, we have to be very creative about our lives, so maybe you could tell them you fell in love and ran away to elope? That you went out of the country and contracted an illness. Demetri died quickly, of course, and you survived a bit longer."

Eleazar added, "Kate's idea is a good one. I think we could manage to get Lydia's ashes and a note returned to her family, perhaps by a good doctor that tended to her overseas and escorted her remains back home?"

Edward heard Eleazar's thoughts flash to Carlisle and nodded. "Sure, we can take care of it. I'll need to call home soon, anyway."

Lydia flashed a look of hope. "Ok, so that's the worst case scenario. What about the best? What if I can survive? Can I go home?"

Eleazar and Carmen were both troubled by the question. Carmen gently smoothed Lydia's hair as she picked up the empty cup. "I'm not sure, nina. There is still a danger from our political leaders in Italy. Eventually, someone will come looking for Demetri, and with some of their gifts, it would be very difficult for us to protect you and your entire family. Let us talk about it while you rest some more, okay?"

Lydia smiled at the possibility as her eyes began to close, and nodded her head, feeling a bit of peace for a change.

As Lydia began to fall asleep, Bella moved Lydia to lay on her side, a much more comfortable position for sleeping, she recalled. Silently, the vampires left the room, all of them pondering if Lydia could actually survive, and if she did, how did they send her home?


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: SM owns the characters. I own RP fantasies and the need for random acts of citrus. That's a warning.

Chapter 5

"Holy hell, Edward, more...harder...just please, baby, more," Bella demanded as Edward thrust into her deeply, her back against a tree."

"Damn it, Bella, I...I...hold on baby," Edward warned.

Bella grabbed the branch right above her head as he took a nipple into his mouth and starting thrusting at a speed and depth not recognized by the human eye. Bella's eyes involuntarily rolled back into her head, as she groaned loud enough to scare the wildlife in a two mile radius. She used the branch as leverage and worked to meet Edward thrust for thrust. Edward grabbed Bella around the waste, held her hips still and adjusted his angle, hitting a spot that drove females, both human and vampire, insane. At the same time, his pubic bone rubbed her clit at that inhuman speed, causing Bella's walls to start contracting.

"OH GOD, UNG, EDWARD, YES, THERE, BABY, RIGHT THERRRRRRR…." Bella's voice cut off leaving her mouth open in a silent scream as she came hard around him, her juices freely running down Edward's cock. His responding orgasm was nearly instantaneous, pumping hard and deep, but slowing his rhythm, Edward released into her with a solid grunt.

Just as they stilled and leaned into kiss each other, Edward softly whispered "I Lovvvvvvve…"

crack. Crack. CREEK. SNAAAAP. CRASH.

The branch in Bella's hands broke off and the tree they were leaned against swiftly made its way to the forest floor. Still joined together, Bella and Edward fell fast and hard with the tree.

After a moment of shock, Bella laughed loudly. "Oh my God, Edward, that's the second tree we've destroyed today. You'd think we'd either get used to being tree killers or stop using trees for support."

Edward shot her his crooked grin that made her wet all over again. "Indeed, love. But, I just can't help myself with you. Logical thought seems to escape my brain when I'm deep inside you, anticipating the look on your face when you cum for me."

Still giggling, Bella pushed Edward at his shoulders. "Well, we've got to stop. Everyone will wonder where we went. A few elk were polished off three hours ago."

Edward reluctantly pulled his semi-hard cock from the warmth of Bella's body. They both stood and went around hunting up the clothes they'd left strewn in the general area.

Two days had passed since they had the difficult talks with Lydia. The baby didn't come that day, as expected, or the next for that matter. Bella feared that the blood from the Brown Bear they'd eaten three days ago wouldn't hold her for much longer if Lydia didn't deliver soon. Not to mention, two days of not being joined with her husband was simply unheard of in their newlywed lifestyle. She loved her daughter more than anything, but she was certainly grateful Renesmee required sleep….and babysitters….she was extremely grateful for all of the built=in babysitters! Add to their newlywed and her newborn statuses, the amount of stress that flooded the house was starting to cause physical pain. They both needed a release. So, they had taken the time to hunt locally, but far enough away from the house that they could curb both of their appetites.

They were prepared for almost everything. Lydia had written the letter to her parents. Edward had called home, speaking to Carlisle, asking him to handle the cremation and delivery of the ashes and Lydia's last words of love, if necessary. The plan to return Lydia home as a human wasn't a great plan. They were seriously hoping for the miracle of time. Hopefully, they wouldn't run into Aro or the Volturi for six or seven decades. By then, Lydia would either have passed on naturally, or would be close to her natural death. She would not be a threat. The child would be grown in seven years and would be able to handle himself, or herself, with the help of the family that would rear her, or him, of course.

They had debated for hours about what to do with the child. The entire Denali clan was hesitant to take on the responsibility. Although they had nothing against the natural hybrid, none of them had the desire to raise a child. The reason for their sister's death still kept the wounds a little too fresh. Another phone call home to Alice, even with limited vision, seemed to put a probable plan in place.

Now, they waited.

Edward swung Bella on his back as he did in her human days, and started an easy run back to the Denali home. About a mile away, the relaxing sounds of the forest were interrupted by an unholy scream from the direction of the house. At the same time, both Bella's and Edward's phones started to vibrate.

The wait was over. It was time.

Edward picked up speed as Bella clung to his back, stopping only when they were outside the bedroom door. Edward forced Bella to look him the eye.

"Bella, do not forget the plan. You lower your shield when we go in. If you think you're becoming overwhelmed but can't force yourself to leave, it may take a couple of us to get you out. Don't fear love, I'll come for you as soon as I can. Do not think less of yourself or your abilities if you need to leave. I love you, Bella."

Bella reached up to kiss her husband. "Let's go get another baby, Edward. I love you, too."

Bella held her breath and lowered her shield so Edward could see her thoughts. She and Edward entered the room and found... complete chaos.

Lydia lay unmoving on the bed. Her pupils fixed and dilated. No heartbeat rang through the room. Eleazar's mouth was covered in blood, and for Edward, Lydia's thoughts were silent. Tanya stood near Carmen, holding a bottle of blood. Kate and Garrett were conspicuously absent. The only sound in the room came from a cooing infant wrapped in blanket, held securely in Carmen's arms.

Edward saw the scene in Eleazar's thoughts. But for Bella's benefit, Edward quietly uttered,

"What. The. Hell. Happened?"

Eleazar soundlessly wiped the blood from his face with a wet cloth that lay on the table.

"She wouldn't let us call you sooner, Edward. She truly believed that without your help the child wouldn't survive. She just couldn't see it Edward. And her self-loathing ran deep about it. Her conscience tore at her. She felt the only just punishment was that neither of them should survive. I guess your talks about the baby's strength either didn't sink in, or she didn't care."

Bella stood there wide-eyed and trembling. " _Oh no, Lydia. Why couldn't you believe us? Trust us? We would have been your family. We would have helped you, no matter what….."_ Edward heard Bella's thought start to fade out and noticed that Bella was breathing heavily, the scent of the human blood and her grief for this poor lost soul taking over. Bella's shield was dropping.

Edward quickly grabbed Bella in his arms, issuing commands over his shoulder. "Eleazar, sew up that open wound and cover the body. Douse the room in bleach for now. Burn any fabric covered in blood. Carmen and Tanya, bring the baby to the living room. Bella needs to be away from this room. We'll meet you there. We need to call Carlisle."

Edward hurried Bella from the room and the house. He wrapped her tightly in his arms.

"Love, you're alright," Edward crooned. "Just feel me, Bella. I'm here with you. You did nothing wrong. You were amazing as usual, love."

Bella's body was wracked with dry sobs, scratching her throat and her chest, as she clung to her husband.

After some time had passed, she began to calm, taking in huge breaths of the fresh forest air.

Edward continued to nuzzle his nose in her hair, holding her against his chest. "That's it, Bella, come back to me, now. Do you need to hunt, love?

Bella shook her head against Edward's chest, his scent flooding her system, calming her even more. "No, Edward. I'm physically fine. I just can't believe Lydia would do this. Any of it. Part of me finally understands Rosalie a little better, ya know? I mean, she didn't like me for so long because I wanted to be changed, to give up the option for children. But when the time came to have one, she protected me and Ness when I made my choice to give a child life, even if it meant sacrificing mine. Neither Rose, nor I, could see how anything was more important than the child. I never thought for one second that Lydia would sacrifice her life to kill a child."

Edward rested his chin on Bella's head and his words resonated through his chest so she could feel them vibrate throughout her entire body.

"Bella, I'm guessing that Lydia did possess some kind of gift. Either that, or she didn't make her decision until the very end. I would like to think I would have heard such negative thoughts. But since she never voiced her desire to not let the child live, we can't know for sure what was behind her decision. That's very aggravating to all of us, love. We knew that there would have to be very special circumstances for the baby not to survive. We told her the baby was stronger than her. We gave her every opportunity, every choice. Don't let this eat at you, Bella. Grieve it. But then you're going to have to let it go."

Bella pulled back from Edward, only to see his eyes radiating love, as he always did. He wasn't bitter about what happened in that house. He was….accepting? Her husband who had always beat himself up, who would have sacrificed his life over a paper cut, had accepted the situation for what it was. " _Ah, how the tables had turned._ " The thought caused Bella to grin widely. Damn vampire emotions switching so quickly. There were some newborn traits she had not escaped.

Bella rolled her eyes at her own silliness and placed a finger over Edward's lips before he could question the rapid changes on her face. "You're right, Edward. I will cope with this, and my husband and my _**family**_ will help me. Now, let's do what needs to be done. What's first?"

Edward chuckled and hugged his wife. "First, we need to call Carlisle and secure Lydia's remains. We won't break our promise to her." Bella nodded. "Second, we have to tell Garrett and Kate that it's safe to come back in the house. And finally, we have a new baby to meet, and then we head home."

Bella continued to smile and she sat on the ground listening to Edward's call to Carlisle. Carlisle said he would leave immediately and be at the Denali home the next morning. Edward pulled Bella to a standing position and pulled her toward the house. She stopped suddenly.

"Edward, wait." Edward turned to look at his wife with an eyebrow raised in question.

"You said we had to tell Kate and Garrett it was safe to come home. I don't understand."

A wicked smile appeared across Edward's face. "Oh, that information I got from Eleazar's thoughts. Turns out that you weren't the vampire we needed to worry about so much. It seems that Garrett still struggles a bit with our vegetarian lifestyle. He went a little crazy with bloodlust when Eleazar bit through the placenta around the baby. Kate and Tanya had to physically pull him all the way out of the house before he killed Lydia himself."

Bella was shocked for a moment, before laughing hysterically. "Oh that rebel. I can't wait to get my hands on his tough, war mongering, British arse."

Edward grabbed Bella's hand and pulled her again toward the house. "C'mon my little battle-picker. There will plenty of time to harass Garrett about his weaknesses. Let's go meet our newest family member."

Bella nodded and they strolled casually toward the house.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: You know who owns it, and it's not I.

Chapter 6

Edward secured the baby carrier that Carlisle had delivered upon his arrival into the backseat of the Volvo, complete with a 36-hour old, sleeping baby. After ensuring that the newest Cullen was safe and happy, he closed the door soundlessly. Bella had already packed the baby bag with all the necessities, courtesy of Alice, and a cooler of steel-tipped bottles filled with half blood, half baby formula. Edward picked up both cases and stored them on the floor boards in the backseat, where Bella could easily reach them. After ensuring that everything was ready to go, Edward walked the short distance to Bella and Carlisle.

"Everything's packed and ready," Edward stated. "Did everyone else already leave?"

Carlisle nodded. "Yes. They've headed to South America for a few weeks. After the excitement of the last two weeks, they were feeling the need to get away. Zafrina's invitation to meet them in Columbia came at the perfect time. Besides, it's a good alibi should any of the Volturi come looking for Demetri. The house has be scoured with bleach, and after everything we've burned lately, most scents should be either gone or at least appear dated. There's definitely nothing here to indicate Demetri was ever here."

Edward put a hand on Carlisle's shoulder. "I think we're well covered with all of this. Let's hope the next time we visit with anyone, a little less drama is involved."

Carlisle chuckled. "Agreed. As for my part, I've got the ashes and the proper documentation, thanks to Jasper and Jenks. I'll leave shortly after you. It will probably take me a couple of days to drive there, make the delivery, help the family deal with the grief and return home. I'm sorry I'll miss Mother's Day with everyone, so be sure to take plenty of pictures for me."

Bella tightly hugged her father-in-law. "Thank you for taking care of this, Carlisle. As misguided as Lydia's actions were in the end, I'm glad we can fulfill some of her wishes, maybe offer her family some consolation. It's not her fault she ended up in this situation."

Carlisle squeezed Bella before letting her go. "Sometimes, my dear, you rival Esme for your kindness of heart. Truly, Bella, you have many gifts. Now, why don't you both head out. Ness is going to completely spoiled by the time you get back. Five days away from her, and I haven't heard anyone tell her 'No.' To anything.

Bella and Edward let out a simultaneous groan, and Carlisle laughed good-naturedly at their dismay. "Ah, so good to be a grandparent after raising five teenagers repeatedly for the last century, or so."

Bella and Edward laughed, too. "Well, perhaps this new little one will be just what Ness needs to learn to share a bit," Bella quipped.

Edward smirked as he ushered Bella to the car, "Right. I have a feeling that they're going to tag-team us, instead. Double Trouble, you might say."

Bella groaned again, and then turned to wave to Carlisle before getting into the passenger's seat. "See you soon, Carlisle. Please be safe."

Edward closed Bella's door once she was situated with a book in her lap, and turned to Carlisle once more.

"So, the plan is still a go? Alice didn't see anything negative, right?"

Carlisle shook his head. "There were still fuzzy moments, but everything seems to be right according to our psychic. Trying to see around the baby and Nessie is difficult, yet. But the family's response seems to be what we would anticipate."

"What about you, Carlisle? Is this too much responsibility for you? I hate putting the family in potential danger, making us greater in number and strength -"

Carlisle held up his hand. "Edward, stop. It's the right thing to do. If you've learned anything, it should be that we're all entitled to happiness. Besides, a large family means having even more to fight for, should the need arise."

Edward broke into an easy grin. "As usual, you're right, Carlisle. Ok. Well, I'm going to take my wife and our little present home. See you in a few days."

Carlisle headed to his car, grinning back at his son. "See you in a few days."

Edward got behind the wheel and started the car. He glanced at the baby still sleeping in the back and leaned over to quickly kiss Bella.

"Everything ok, Edward," Bella asked, trying to read her husband's face.

"Everything's perfect, love. Carlisle just confirmed that everything should be ok at home, and reinforced doing the right thing, as always. Now, are you ready to head out?"

Bella smiled at her husband. "I can't wait to be home. Even if it means we can't stop to get that bearskin rug on the way."

Edward groaned, giving his wife a withering look, and ran his hand up her inner thighs, cupping her center securely and applying teasing pressure on her clit. "Bella, as soon as everything is settled at home, you and I are taking a long weekend, and we're bringing back the skins of every animal I take you on."

Bella gulped in anticipation, just as Edward quickly removed his hand, put the car in "drive" and hit the accelerator, speeding by Carlisle as he left the Denali home. "It's going to be a longggg trip home," she muttered.

A little more than 24 hours later, Edward and Bella pulled into the driveway of the Cullen's main house. The trip had been uneventful. The baby was good natured, as Renesmee had been, and slept a good portion of the trip, content in the comfortable car seat. When awake, Bella would sit in the back seat with the baby, playing with the many toys Alice had sent. The baby seemed to have an affinity for anything that provided multiple-sensory stimulations: buttons, colors, music, lights, moving objects.

Alice waited on the porch as Edward grabbed the baby bags and Bella held the baby close to her chest, sniffing in the baby scent of powder and lotion. The baby's blood did nothing to tease Bella's bloodlust, and she enjoyed holding the infant. Renesmee had not been a baby long enough, and Bella missed three days of her infancy.

Edward tensed a little as he noticed his wife's wistful expression, but before he could question her, Alice interrupted his thoughts with her visions and corresponding narrative. "She's sure, Edward. She's just enjoying this moment." Edward nodded and put his hand at the small of Bella's back.

"Ready to introduce the family, love?"

Bella relaxed into Edward's touch. "Absolutely."

Alice bounced just a little as Bella and Edward made it to the top of porch. "Oh, Bella, can I have just a peek? The visions have been so fuzzy…." Alice trailed off as Bella put the precious bundle into Alice's arms. "Oh my gosh, so perfect. Even after holding Ness the first time, it's still so amazing. Alice ran a single finger down the baby's tiny nose. "Welcome to our family, little one."

Alice passed the baby back to Bella. "So, Jasper and Carlisle know. But no one else. Emmett, Rose, Esme, and Jake have been too busy with Ness. When I was asked, I just said that the visions weren't clear. It wasn't a complete lie," she shared a devilish grin with her brother. "But now that you're actually here, all the pieces are in place."

Bella looked around as Alice mentioned Renesmee. "Alice, where is Ness? I was hoping she would be here for Mother's Day."

"Don't worry, Bella, she'll be back soon. I couldn't pin point your arrival time, so Jake took her to see her Nana Sue to give her the presents she made. I can't tell you what they are because you're getting the same thing. Besides, I was concerned at how emotionally charged this first meeting might be, so it's probably good that she's not here first thing."

Bella nodded. "You're right, and it's no problem. We've got plenty of time today." She looked meaningfully at Edward. "Well, let's go celebrate Mother's Day with Esme."

Alice, Edward, and Bella entered the house silently. Rose was flipping through a magazine on the couch, and Esme was trying to figure out what to do with the guest room next Emmett and Rose's room ( _"It is seriously in need of an overhaul,"_ Edward heard Esme think with distaste.) The only noise in the room came from where Jasper and Emmett were playing the original "Frogger" on their original ATARI game system. The lights, the sounds, and the actions on the television gained the attention of the baby almost immediately. Excited coos and laughter came from the bundle in Bella's arms; little arms and legs started flailing

Esme immediately jumped up at the noise and ran at vampire speed toward Bella. "Oh, goodness, Bella…is that….did you bring?" Esme couldn't finish a sentence, and her jumbled thoughts were racing.

Jasper shot a wave of calm toward Esme, as Edward wrapped his arms around the only mother he could clearly remember. "Calm down, Esme. Why don't you sit down and hold the baby, while we explain."

Emmett turned the sound down on the television, but left the game running, and the baby continued to hold a fixed gaze at the screen, completely captivated. Bella handed the baby to Esme in hopes of keeping her calm, while everyone settled on the various couches and chairs.

Edward launched into the story of the past week, from Alice's holey visions and Eleazar's phone call, to Lydia's distressing experiences, Demetri's betrayal, and the Denali family's responses. As the story came to close, Edward ran his large hand through his long copper locks. "The crazy thing is, right before we left we were all sitting at the table trying to figure out what to get you for Mother's Day. When this little critter came along, well, Bella and I called Alice and Carlisle, and we just knew it was right…"

Esme placed a small kiss on the baby's forehead, and then gave Edward a quizzical look. "You got me a child for Mother's Day? I think I'm a little confused, Edward. I love my family very much just as it is. I mean, I'm flattered that you'd want me to have a baby, but…"

Bella stood up smoothly and went to kneel before Esme. "Esme, you are a wonderful mother to all of us, and there is no doubt that you have loved each of us unconditionally. But, no, we aren't asking you to raise another child. Yes, this little one is a gift for you. What could be a better gift than your own child, Esme, but another GRANDchild?

Esme's eyes lit up with immediate understanding, and venomous tears appeared at the corners, a huge smile forming on her lips, her hands vibrating with excitement. "Bella, Bella, Bella….how right you are. Being a parent is a wonderful gift, but being a grandmother is the best relationship I never knew I even wanted before Ness. And now we have another one? Oh, all of you…do you have any idea how lucky we are?" Esme took a breath and tried to steady her hands, unsuccessfully.

Deciding she needed a moment to collect herself, she offered the baby back to Bella, who propped the baby's head over her shoulder, the TV back in full view, eliciting more giggles from the newest Cullen.

Esme sat back fully in her chair. "So, you and Edward will be raising the baby? Ness has a new….sister? Brother? My goodness, we don't even know what kind of little Cullen we have….I can't believe you all kept this from me. Even Carlisle? Oh, that man is going to hear from me when he gets home."

Everyone but Rosalie and Emmett laughed at Esme's continued exuberance and many questions. Edward heard the thoughts of his siblings and moved to Bella's side, giving her a small nudge. It was time.

Bella stood with the baby in her arms. "No, Esme, Edward and I won't being parenting this little one. We- no, I - tempted fate insisting on having Renesmee. The fact that I have my own perfect family is because of the sacrifices everyone in this home made for me. Had it not been for my stubbornness, the Volturi standoff might not have happened."

Five vampires opened their mouths to disagree, and Bella shut them all down.

"Don't say a word, any of you. I saw myself, literally, in Lydia, this past week. Human memories flooded me. Let's say, without the pregnancy hormones, my vision is a little more clear as to how things really went down. No, I was selfish to want it all, no matter how much faith I had in your abilities to make it happen for me. The truth is, there is one person in this room who never begrudged my selfishness, never questioned my need to have my baby…one person who knew exactly what I was feeling, and could have hated me for having everything she ever wanted.

To answer your question, Esme, no. Emmett and Rose didn't know we were bringing you a grandchild. It would have ruined the surprise, when I give this precious little BOY to his new mother."

Rose had been silent throughout the entire recollection, Esme's rant and Bella's explanation. Bella walked across the room to where she and Emmett were sharing a loveseat.

"Rosalie, maybe we should have asked you first, but we went with Alice's impressions. If you don't want a baby now, Edward and I will certainly take responsibility. But, I see how you are with Renesmee. She's loved you so much from the beginning. Would you please take Baby Cullen as your own?"

Rose gave Bella a calculated look and stood up from the couch reaching her full height, about 4 inches over Bella. She moved her gaze to the baby boy who was still giggling at the video game behind him, and a smile broke out over her beautiful face. She wasted no time taking Baby Cullen from Bella, and unceremoniously exclaimed , "I would be honored to be this little guy's mama."

She brought his eyes level with hers, and poured a look of love into him that Bella knew well from her time with Edward and Ness. It was a look that proclaimed "I'm yours, heart and soul; you own me; I'll care for you always; I'll protect you; I'll kill for you; I'll die for you." In an instant, the baby's excitement from the technological stimulus calmed immediately as he dipped is head to nuzzle his mother's neck, laid against her shoulder, and closed his eyes. The bond was complete. She belonged to him, and he to her. Rosalie began to hum a soft tune to her son.

Emmett's sudden realization came out in the form a very loud "HELL, YEAH! I'M A DAD. Did you see how he liked the video game?! I have so much to teach him! " The baby startled a bit, and Rosalie smacked Emmett on the back of the head. "You're REALLY going to have to learn how to be quiet, Emmett…."

The Cullen family sat together quietly for about an hour, where they discussed turning that eye-sore of a guest room into a nursery, with Alice, Esme, and Rosalie throwing around ideas for different themes. Jasper played with Alice's hair and absorbed the complete happiness in the room. It was such a rare experience; he felt completely serene, yet giddy, simultaneously.

Edward and Bella were cuddled on the couch, enjoying the relaxation after all that had transpired in the past week, when Emmett spoke up.

"Hey, Bella, does he have a name?"

Bella shook her head. "No. Lydia didn't offer anything and we thought, since you were his parents, it should be your choice…"

Emmett grinned. "Whaddya think Rose? Is that Emmy Jr. in your arms? Or do we do one of those name mashing things like Bella did? Remmett? Naw…hey wait, how about Mose?"

Bella, Edward and Rosalie all rolled their eyes, while the others chuckled.

Rose looked at her son who was now sucking on a bottle she held for him. "I was thinking a name that's more classic, like we all have. Timeless names, you know? It makes it easier living among humans. Anyway, I was thinking Henry, after Vera's son. It means ' Ruler of the House.'" Rose smiled softly. His middle name is Emmett. We can call him Hank or Hem, if you want 'name mash.'"

For the first time, Emmett reached out to take his son and the bottle from his wife. Looking like a gentle giant, he protectively held the baby. "Henry Emmett…yeah…I like it. It fits. He and Ness are certainly going to rule this house, that's for sure!"

Bella tensed again, hearing them mention Ness. She was missing her daughter and the strain was taking its toll. Bella lowered her shield to show Edward what she needed. He wasted no time in agreeing. He stood, pulling Bella with him.

"I think we're going to head over to Charlie's and get Renesmee. We've missed her and need to connect, ya know?"

Everyone agreed, urging them to hurry home. Ness had a new cousin to meet, after all.

Wrapping his arm around Bella, they almost made it out the door when Alice called out to them. "Hey Edward? Bella? Before I forget…are you two planning a trip soon? I kept having a vision that made no sense…I kept seeing your living room with an awful bearskin rug in front of the fireplace. But, right before you got home, I saw the bearskin rug, a deerskin blanket, and some kind of preserved bobcat…."

Bella buried her face in her hands and murmured "oh kill me now."

Before Alice could inquire further, Edward silently pulled Bella onto his back and ran out the door. When they reached the car, Edward pulled Bella from his back to his front. As he slid her down his body, he whispered in her ear, "Looks like Father's Day is going to be amazing…."

~Finis~

Long (but not the longest) A/N: I'd like to thank the 40 or so people who took the time to read my first attempt at writing fan fiction. 40 doesn't sound like much, but as unknown in the community, the fact that I have no profile information (because I was only a reader for years), I used no beta (all typos/errors are mine), and I didn't beg for reviews/or follows (I didn't pimp my story or ask anyone else to, either). To me 40 is like a million. Out of the 40, 3 of you followed or favorited the story, and one of you offered kind reviews without prompting. I must say, I feel like I won my first Oscar, and Rob walked me down the Red Carpet. So, a very heartfelt thank you to my small fan base.

Now, that the story is complete, I have a few things to share (I may post this info in profile, later, but for those of reading and interested, you deserve the teaser), and that includes analyzing my own story and first-time writing experience.

1\. I did this for me. I've wanted to write a book forever, but life always seems to get in the way. After years of reading fan fiction, I finally found a way to meet one of my goals. No one can take that away from me.

2\. I stayed away from A/Ns in every chapter and various other things that I dislike when I read fan fiction. However, because it IS fan fiction, you, dear readers, deserve my gratitude. And truth is - published authors may include a 'Dear Reader" note once in their story. Not every chapter.

3\. I won't beg for reviews because I do this for me. Your thoughts and constructive criticisms are greatly appreciated. I love knowing you're out there. But the truth is, I am my toughest critic. I face-palm myself with every error I see after posting, because I've been edited several times before I posted it.

4\. This was a plot bunny that I thought about on Mother's day. While the storyline is not complex and the concept of Rose having a child is not original, the focus on family being beyond bloodlines was extremely important. More, I wanted a story where Bella admitted her selfishness from the series. She really was terribly selfish in many, many ways. I didn't want her to feel bad about having her HEA, I just wanted her to emotionally give something back and grow a little, I think. I wanted her to take responsibility for her actions.

5\. This story could have stood as T rating if I took out the sex scenes, for sure. Yes, the few in here were not pivotal to the plot. But, they are newlyweds, she is a newborn, and Edward's finally getting some after 100 years. There's going to be random vampire sex. (Especially, if I'm having Rob D/s fantasy at the moment.) If you're offended by that, thanks for reading regardless.

6\. This experience really made me understand what others say about the characters taking over the story. This was supposed to a 2-shot story. Then I went to five. So, six is what I ended up with, and I really had to reign in the voices in my head (ok, I had to send characters away to make six happen!).

Alright, that's it for now. Again, thanks for reading and maybe I'll see you all here again sometime. If you don't want to review, but want me to know that you're one of the 40 Golden Vampire Children, I'd love it if you would drop me a PM. Take care, all and I'll see you on the back cover someday.

XOXO - Lemonlvr69


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